Carton



Nov. 8, 1938. A. w. SCOTCHER CARTON Filed Feb. 2, 1957 5 She6ts-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Nov. 8, 1938. A. w. SCOTCHER CARTON Filed Feb. 2, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

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BYA/PTHU/PW J00 Tc'HE/P.

Patented Nov. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTON Application February 2, 1937, Serial No. 123,610

7 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in cartons and more particularly to a container for fragile articles.

Objects-Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide a container of one-piece construction; to provide means within the container and part thereof whereby the contents will be kept intact; to provide a container having means for keeping the 10 articles to be carried therein in a separable condition; to provide an improved knock-down or collapsible container; to provide locking means in the flap and cover; to enable the carton to be easily set up from knock-down condition; to secure simplicity of construction and operation; and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out in the following description.

Drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved carton completely assembled;

Figure 2 is a similar perspective view and showing the carton in partly open condition;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the carton in knocked-down condition;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing the partitions in distended condition;

Figure 5 is an elevation and showing the carton blank before assembling the same;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of the carton; Figures '7 and 8 are transverse sectional views 39 taken on lines 5-! and 8-8 of Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary showing of the flap and top of the carton with means for locking the same; and

Figures 10 and 11 are perspective views incor- 33 porating means extending through the middle of the carton for splitting the carton in two complete parts.

Description.-As seen in the drawings, there is provided a carton or container, which, in the 40 present disclosure, is primarily to be used for shipping or carrying fragile articles such as eggs, lemons and so forth, and with the least danger of the articles being carried becoming broken or squashed.

As here shown, the carton includes a box-like enclosure I5 having a longitudinal middle partition Hi formed as part thereof and a filler H. The receptacle I5 is preferably folded from a single piece of material, such as a cardboard blank 50 shown in Figure 5, with a middle part of the material bent upwardly within the receptacle to form said partition [6, whereby the middle partition comprises a double thickness of the material bent over on a fold line I8 at the upper 55 edge of the partition. The filler I1 is substantially as wide as, but of less depth than the receptacle and is provided with a plurality of equally spaced incisions I9. These incisions are shown as approximately elongated diamond-shaped cuts wherein the greater length of cut is transverse to the middle fold and the shorter length of cut is coincident with the fold line 18. Thus when the middle partition is folded, the incisions flare to the top of the partition and are upwardly open thereat.

Referring to Figure 5 showing the filler in extended position, it will be noted that the same is an integral part with the rest of the receptacle blank and is divided so that one half is formed at one end of the blank and the other half is at the opposite end of the blank. As each half is a duplicate of the other, description of the one will suffice for both. It will be observed that the half of the filler is an elongated strip having a line of severence from the blank extending from one edge of the blank to a point spaced from the opposite edge a distance equal to the width of the receptacle when folded. Considering this strip thus partly severed, it will be noted the same is provided with a plurality of incisions of which, in the particular showing, two may be referred to as offset cuts 2| transverse to the length of the filler equally spaced from each other and from the free end of the strip. The cut 2| terminates considerably before reaching the outer edges of the filler and provides an offset 22 at each end directed longitudinally of the filler. From each end of the offsets away from the transverse part or offset 22 of the cut 2|, the filler is creased outwardly tothe edge of the filler, as at 23. Bending the filler upon alined creases 23, 23. for any one cut, will result in the portion of the material between the offsets projecting beyond the crease as a tab 24 (see Figures 2, 6, '7 and 8). When the device is in use the several tabs will be engaged by tongue 41 (hereafter described) underlying the lid I9 of the receptacle as a support therefor and prevent pressure on the lid from injuring contents of the receptacle.

Intermediate, and preferably half way between the creases 23, 23 from the offsets 22, 22, the filler is transversely creased as at entirely across the strip. These creases each intersect a slot 26, disposed longitudinally of the strip substantially midway of the length of the slot, there being one slot for each transverse crease 25, all of which slots are alined at the middle of the strip and terminate with a perpendicular cut 26' at each end of the slot. The filler is folded in use on the several creases, accordion-like, as shown in such Figures as 2, 3, 4 and 6, thereby providing a pluralityof cross partitions 21. Each of these partitions is accordingly a double wall and each wall has two arcuate scorings 28, one on each side of the middle longitudinal slot 38, whereby, when the receptacle is folded for use an egg or other similar shaped article 33 may be inserted between two upwardly divergent partitions and enter between the scorings therein as clearly shown in Figures 2, 6 and 7. When the filler is folded it will thus provide upper and lower peaks of which the upper peaks are constituted by the upper edges of the juxtaposed ends of the two halves of the filler and by the uppermost edges of the tabs 24, and of which the lower peaks are constituted by the transverse intermediate crease 23. These lower peaks are kept from immediate contact with the bottom of the folded carton by virtue of the material 29 within the arcuate scorings 28 remaining in the plane of the wall of the upper part of the partition, thus extending straight down to the bottom wall 30 of carton. An appropriate crease 3| crouwise of the wall outside of the arcuate scoring enables the partition wall to bend thereat from the vertical upper part to provide a sloping false-bottom 32 to the lower peak constituted by crease 25. It will thus be observed that pressure on the top of the carton will be communicated through perpendicular walls of the transverse partitions, including the oval shaped material 29, normal to the bottom wall, and that eggs, fruit or other articles 33 carried between the partitions and resting against the arcuate exposed edges 2| will be unaffected by pressure normal to the top and bottom of the carton.

What has been termed bottom 30 of the carton is an integral part of the blank extending both ways from the lower edges or creases 34 at the bottom of the middle partition. At the rear bottom corner of the box the material is again creased at 35 to form a rear wall 36 at the top of which is another longitudinal crease 31 to form the top wall IS. The ends of the top wall are integral with turn-in flaps- 39, 40 the latter of which is integral with the strips forming the transverse partitions. The ends of the top wall it are provided with two creases 4i, 42 which cross each other in the form of a narrow X which not only adds to the ease of folding the turn-in.

'. flaps and top down to place, but also enables the ends of the top at the crease 42 to diverge from the longitudinal crease 31 toward the front edge 43 of the top. The front wall 44 of the box is integral with the bottom wall and is bent upwardly therefrom on longitudinal crease 4B. The top of this front wall is creased, as at 46, and formed integral with a tongue 41 the end edges of which converge from the said crease 48 and may therefore be inserted between top i9 and turn-in flap 38 with the said converging edges engaging the diverging creases 42. For display purposes this front wall 43 may be withdrawn, and preferably has a longitudinal crease 48 which permits the free edge 49 to catch under the lower peaks of the partition and prominently display advertising matter 50 appearing on tongue 41 within the area thereof between creases 46 and 48. Any suitable lock scoring 5! such as to provide the headed tab 52 may be struck up from one part of the carton, such as from the tongue 41, to engage within the area between converging slits 53, here shown in the edge of der the doubled middle partition II, and with the other juxtaposed portion of the cross partitions 21 positioned over the said longitudinal middle partition with said middle partition passing through said slot 23. when the user sets up a carton, the cross partitions 21 are pulled to an upright position, which in turn causes the middle partition" II to be pulled upright, at which time the cross partitions will enter the incision I 3 next the end of the longitudinal partition, as shown accomplished in Figure 4. The end incision preferably has a shoulder lock 84 directed inwardly which will snap into a locking slot 34 in the end wall of the cross partition which constitutes the end of the carton. The flexibility of the material then permits the user to lift the cross partitions (except the end one) out of the end incision and move them to the suwesstve incisions, as shown accomplished in Figure 2. The contents may then be inserted, the turn-in flaps are then pressed inwardly, this time using crease 42, and the front wall 44 is turned up and tongue 41 inserted as above described The carton shown is adapted forreception of a dozen articles 33, and may be used intact for dispensing that amount at one time. Should. however, it be desired to dispense only half a dozen articles at one time, the blank when formed may have a medial tear-line 43 scored entirely across the same as illustrated by Figures 5, 10 and 11, permitting the carton to be broken in half. By virtue of the filler being formed by strips from both ends of the box meeting and juxtaposed to form the central transverse partition, the said filler does not have to be torn, but merely divides at the juxtaposed walls of the filler halves when the carton is thus divided.-

l. A carton as characterized comprising in combination a receptacle and filler formed from a single blank with half of-the filler formed at, each end of the blank, said filler having-transverse creases enabling the filler to be bent ac-.

cordion-like thereby providing a plurality of upper and lower peaks, and with ends of the filler halves Juxtaposedto also form a peak, said filler also having longitudinally alined slots traversing the lower peaks and each terminating short of the upper peak, saidreceptacle having an intermediate longitudinal partition extending through said slots.

2. A carton comprising in combination a container, a filler in said container, said i'iller being accordion-folded thereby providing upper and lower folds transverse of the filler, each upper fold having a slit adjacent thereto, said slit having a portion parallel to the said upper fold the parallel portion ending at a distance from both side edges of the filler in a short normal portion of silt extending from the said parallel portion to the fold line thereby enabling the portion of the filler included within the area defined by the slit above the said fold line to extend upwardly above the fold line in continuation of one surface portion of the accordion fold of the filler.

3. A carton comprising a receptacle and filler folded from a single blank, said carton providing an intermediate longitudinal partition and two closely contiguous walls having incisions to receive the filler and said filler being folded with double walls in said incisions of the partition and having slots for straddling the double walls of said middle partition, said blank providing a lid and turn-in flaps with one flap integral with the lid and another flap integral with the filler.

4. A carton comprising a receptacle and filler folded from a single blank, said carton providing an intermediate longitudinal partition and two closely contiguous walls having incisions to receive the filler and said filler being folded with double walls in said incisions of the partition and having slotsfor straddling the double Walls of said middle partition, said blank providing a lid and turn-in flaps with one flap integral with the lid and another flap integral with the flap, said blank also providing a double crease between the lid and the flap integral therewith.

5. A carton comprising a receptacle and filler folded from a single blank, said carton providing an intermediate longitudinal partition and two closely contiguous walls having incisions to receive the filler and said filler being folded with double walls in said incisions of the partition and having slots for straddling the double walls of said middle partition, said blank providing a lid and turn-in flaps with one flap integral with the lid and another flap integral with the filler,

said blank also providing two creases in the form of a narrow X at each end of the lid between it and the integral end flap.

6. A carton comprising a receptacle and filler folded from a single blank, said carton providing an intermediate longitudinal partition and two closely contiguous walls having incisions to receive the filler and said filler being folded with double walls in said incisions of the partition and having slots for straddling the double walls of said middle partition, said blank providing a lid and turn-in flaps with one flap integral with the lid and another flap integral with the filler, said blank also providing two creases in the form of a narrow X at each end of the lid between it and the integral end flap, the pair of creases utilized for the ends of the lid when the carton is closed diverging outwardly toward the free edge of the lid.

'7. A carton comprising a receptacle and filler folded from a single blank, said carton providing an intermediate longitudinal partition and two closely contiguous walls having incisions to receive the filler and said filler being folded with double walls in said incisions of the partition and having slots for straddling the 'double walls of said middle partition, said middle partition and the outermost wall of the filler having an interlocking engagement when the carton is set up in its box-like formation, said carton having a lid and the lid and said outermost wall of the filler being joined by turned-in flaps.

ARTHUR W. SCOTCHER. 

